


Shadows

by KittyRouge



Category: Naruto
Genre: A bit of drama, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Realising Feelings, a bit of angst, fluff too, hopefully wholesome, mild tho, swearing maybe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28637070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyRouge/pseuds/KittyRouge
Summary: A story set not long after the Fourth Shinobi War. Peace and safety is not as permanent as they hoped, and nightmares may just be a reality waiting to happen. Can old bonds be mended and strengthened? Can new bonds be made?------I'm pretty bad at summaries, but it really isnt as dark as it sounds. Just needed more GaaNaru out there :3
Relationships: Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31





	1. A dream of shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Well here goes. It wont be that long, and most of the story has been drafted. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys!

“Naruto!”

Iruka-sensei’s stern voice broke him free of his train of thought. Naruto was brought back to the present, where he should be focusing on the lesson ahead of him, a requirement towards achieving his goal of being Hokage.

“Honestly, what’s been distracting you so much lately?” Iruka-sensei let out a sigh, genuinely curious as to what was occupying Naruto’s focus as of late. Unlike his usual overly energetic self, Naruto seemed more withdrawn and closed-off, as if the weight of the war was still burdening his shoulders. A few years have passed since the war ended, Konoha was recovering alongside the rest of the world and the reality of achieving an era of peace was closer than ever before.

Another beat of silence passed between them before Naruto fully came back to the present and finally made eye contact with his sensei. He gave a sheepish grin and shrugged off the question, though Iruka could probably see that whatever was bothering him still lingered. “Sorry Sensei! I’m gonna give it all my focus now, you know.”

Iruka looked over him a little longer, the concern he felt for Naruto clearly written on his face but ultimately he let the subject drop and continued with the lesson. Naruto was grateful that his sensei - who was honestly more like a father figure to him - trusted him enough to deal with his own issues or get the help he needed. The rest of the lesson passed by in a blur, and Naruto found himself walking the familiar path home in the warm light of the setting sun.

Konoha was really doing its best to rebuild what was lost during the war and the efforts of all the villagers and shinobi were obvious all around him. Tsunade-baachan had stepped down from her position as Godaime, entrusting the village in the capable – somewhat reluctant - hands of Kakashi-sensei, who honestly suited the job well despite his initial complaints against taking up the mantle. He had pushed Naruto into taking the necessary steps towards being the next Hokage, all the while doing his best to rebuild a village he could proudly hand over to his former student.

All around Naruto there were groups of people working together to build parks and houses, commuting home after a day at work, or simply enjoying the warm and peaceful sunset. He politely returned the greetings he received, yet was unable to stop and make conversation with anyone. Flashbacks of the nightmare that has been plaguing him for the past few nights come unbidden to the forefront of his mind.

The nightmares started out vague, destruction and damage would usually surround him and he would be left feeling helpless in the middle of it all. However, these dreams would progress and a certain red headed figure would always come into focus. _Gaara_.

He would see Gaara from a distance and a sense of grief would replace his initial helplessness. The nightmares would end soon after he spots him, leaving Naruto to wake up with leftover grief and an ache in his chest that he couldn’t understand. At the beginning, he decided that maybe the dreams were just from his past memory, his brain reminding him of how he once truly lost his friend if not for a miracle and a sacrifice that changed fate. Yet, as the dreams kept on occurring with better clarity, it became clear that the memory and nightmare were not the same.

Naruto arrived home and immediately went to carry out what has recently become a sort of routine. He checks his balcony for a messenger bird, and takes the letter that’s attached to it. He can’t help the small smile at seeing his name in Gaara’s familiar and neat scrawl on the letter front. He reads the letter at his desk and proceeds to write out a reply, sending it off with the same messenger bird once it has had its rest and refreshments. He had started writing to Gaara more frequently to help quell the uneasy feeling that made itself known whenever he thought of the sand-nin. Gaara’s replies were often simple and short, but they were almost always consistently on time, one every two to three days. They spoke of simple things like their home villages, updates on their work and learnings, as well as future plans of official visits to each other’s villages. The communication between them allowed Naruto to rest easier, and he ultimately decided to keep the existence of the nightmares to himself.

* * *

He wasn’t able to rest easy for long. Four months into their back and forth letter exchange and the pattern was broken. Naruto didn’t think too much of it at first, what with Gaara being busy with his own duty as Kazekage, surely he’ll send a reply when he can. Days became weeks, and Naruto had sent a few more letters out but no reply came back. The nightmares came back to daunt him, getting worse and worse until an anxiousness made place in his chest. It was a feeling that he could control, but not a feeling he enjoyed living with. It had started to bother him to the point of losing his focus during trainings, and that’s when he decided he needed to do something about it.

Almost two months without a word from Hidden Sand had him barging into the Hokage’s office, much to Kakashi’s weariness. The Rokudaime Hokage seemed to be busy with paperwork and decisions to make, but Naruto had to do something about his worrying gut feeling before it festers into a full blown anxiety attack.

“Yes, Nar-”

“Send me on a mission to the Hidden Sand Village.” Naruto cut his former sensei off in a rush to get himself on the road as fast as he can. His request clearly took Kakashi off guard and the current Hokage sat straighter in his seat, looking at the blonde ninja with a calculating expression.

“Why?” A look of surprise crossed Naruto’s face - definitely from the lack of immediate rejection – before he schooled it into fierce determination. “Is there any specific reason you need to be there?” Kakashi asked in his usual casual tone, but the underlying weight of his question was not missed by his former student.

“I’m not sure sen-” he cut himself off to rephrase what he needed to say better. “What I meant to say was that I don’t have a specific reason to be there, but I’m sure I will find out once I’m there, Rokudaime.”

Kakashi seemed to be considering the blonde’s request. He glanced to look behind Naruto at the sound of someone entering his office, spotting the familiar face of another former Team 7 member. Sakura came to stand beside Naruto, a look of concern on her face at his lack of enthusiastic greetings. He only spared her a nod before continuing whatever battle of wills was happening between the two men. Kakashi finally let out a sigh and the tension in the room dissipated.

“I’m sorry, Naruto. I can’t arbitrarily assign you on a mission to another hidden village without any solid reason.” It was obvious that there was something else the Hokage was keeping to himself.

The feeling of disappointment and frustration at his former sensei’s clinical answer overshadowed his own curiosity in the moment and he was left trying to come up with some valid excuse.

“I believe you are here to report your team is ready to leave.” Kakashi addressed Sakura, dismissing his conversation with Naruto.

A moment of hesitation passed before Sakura quietly answered her confirmation to him. She turned her focus to the infamously energetic blond who was uncharacteristically quiet. His eyes were staring unfocusedly at the ground, and his features were painfully showcasing his dejection. Sakura turned to glance at Kakashi and they both shared a concerned look towards Naruto. An uncomfortable silence had started to fill the office before Naruto finally appeared to come to some sort of conclusion.

“I guess I have no choice but to be as honest as I can.” he started, Kakashi and Sakura both turning their full attention to what he had to say. Naruto told them about his recurring nightmares, keeping the details vague and omitting Gaara’s role as the main reason for his uneasiness. He did share about the sudden end of their back and forth letters, explaining that it may hint to something happening at the Hidden Sand. Concern was rolling off of both Kakashi and Sakura, and at that moment Naruto knew he was speaking to them not as his Hokage and fellow shinobi, but as his found family. They questioned him about how long he had kept this to himself and Sakura chides him for not getting help or talking to anyone about it sooner.

“Okay okay, I’ll get help with it soon, Sakura-chan. Now do you understand why I have to go there?” he looked to both of them, their expressions betraying the fact that they really did want him to have his way.

“Look, Naruto. I want to send you out, knowing what I know now,” something in the way he said it still sounded a little off. “But the situation is still very rocky and I can’t just assign you a cross border mission immediately. You’ll need to give me a few days to come up with the paperwork and assign some sort of formal mission for you. I’ll make something work to get you there.” As much as he trusted his former student and wanted to send him out immediately, as the Hokage he had no choice but to abide by the rules and regulations that have been set.

The atmosphere in the room became stifling again, the silence stretching between them filled with tension. Naruto didn’t blame Kakashi for this, he understood the weight of the position he holds. Now, he was considering the consequences he would face if he went ahead anyways.

“Wait,” Sakura broke the silence with a hopeful expression. Both men sat up straighter in anticipation of what she would say. “Put him on my mission team.”

Kakashi contemplated her idea while Naruto looked between the both of them for some sort of clue as to how that would help him.

“Ino, Sai and I are part of a three-man cell assigned to visit the other hidden villages to help with the improvements for their medical facilities and communications network. The direct network between the five Kages are also getting a significant upgrade.” Sakura began explaining, hope blooming in Naruto’s chest. She turned to address the Hokage, “We’ll just rearrange the schedule so that the Hidden Sand is our first stop.”

Kakashi was already making adjustments to the paperwork in front of him and only looked up to hold eye contact with Naruto. He made sure that what he had to say was heard before he completely lost the blonde’s attention. “As your Hokage, I am officially assigning you as an extra support in their team with Sakura as your captain. You are to stick to your mission, work with the rest of the team, and follow your captain’s instructions.” At the more familiar sight of an energetic and excited Naruto, he dismissed his former students with a fond smile and a nod.


	2. Missions

“This is the first of only two night stops, right?” Naruto asks no one in particular as everyone else settles down in the small clearing they’ve chosen for the night.

“Yeah. Then we’ll continue the rest of our journey and probably have our next stop in the Land of Wind.” Sakura answers easily. The remaining two members of their team hum their agreement, and a comfortable silence settles between them.

The team sits down for dinner together and have discussions on the details of their mission. Sai will mainly be overseeing the communication upgrade, while Sakura focuses on the medical facilities and systems, and Ino will be assisting on both. No one questions Naruto’s role in the mission, something he might have to thank Sakura for later.

He volunteers for first watch, and Sakura joins him for it. They’re both perched on a tree a few feet away from their sleeping comrades when Sakura breaks the easy atmosphere by bringing up the conversation that the blond wanted to avoid.

“Naruto...” a glance in her direction – paired with the soft worried tone of her voice – was enough for him to accept that fighting over the issue won’t get them anywhere. He’s still not used to being someone that other’s worried about outside of a mission, after all everyone just assumes the war hero has all his shit figured out. Sakura lets out another sigh before bumping shoulders with Naruto and soldiering on with the conversation. “You don’t have to get into the details if you don’t want to, and you don’t even have to talk to me about it either. But it might help you feel better, and I want you to know that I’ll be here if you ever need someone to talk to. And if I’m not the right person to hear it, then at least find someone you trust enough to vent to.”

Naruto finally faced her and their eyes held contact, a whole conversation seemed to happen between them in those few short moments. He let out a small chuckle at the memories of what lead them to forge such a strong friendship, one that he can easily consider a familial bond. A little bit of the tension left his body and his shoulders sagged as he settled against the tree trunk. With the light of the moon casting shadows on his face, Sakura saw just how tired Naruto was. This was the face of the hero that faced so much pain and loss. This was the face of the young shinobi that continued smiling regardless.

“The nightmares…” Naruto began talking softly, Sakura leaning closer as if hearing a precious secret. “It was chaos. Everything was a mess, and there was nothing I could do about it.” He waited for her to say something, and when it became clear that she was just intent on listening, he continued. “I couldn’t even tell what we were going up against, but I just knew that there was nothing I could do to help anyone. Nothing I could do to help-”

Sakura didn’t question why he cut himself off, so he hurriedly kept talking. “It was like the war never really ended and peace was some sort of illusion. And I’m going to open my eyes one day having lost everyone precious to me.” He didn’t realise how heavy his breathing was – or the sting of tears forming in the corners of his eyes – until he felt her hand on his shoulder, grounding him to the present. He felt a calm energy surrounding him and realised that perhaps having this conversation with the respected medic-nin was a good idea after all. They both waited for the other to say something, Sakura giving him space to continue talking, and Naruto expecting to hear some sort of opinion or diagnosis from her.

“So, that’s all there really is to it, you know.” That he can comfortably share until he figures out himself the role the redhead had in his nightmares. “What do you think, Sakura-sensei?” he teases her, trying to mask his feelings of vulnerability and embarrassment.

“Do you feel better?” She asks instead, ignoring his attempt at deflecting.

Naruto thinks about it for a moment, before realising that he actually did feel a little better. A little less uneasy. He nods and returns the small smile directed his way.

“Good.” She turns her eyes to look at the night sky, her next words were spoken so softly yet contradicted by the weight of the feelings they carried. “I’m not here to tell you what you might be going through, you don’t need that right now from me. I’m just here to listen and be there for a friend who needs me, even if he doesn’t know it. After all, some knuckleheaded kid taught me that and a few other life lessons too.”

They both shared a laugh and the atmosphere was a little better. It wasn’t the best, but it was definitely better. “Thank you ne, Sakura-chan.”

The rest of their watch was continued with moments of laughter and reminiscing, and comfortable silences in between.

* * *

They continue travelling without any incidents or delays and they found themselves within half a day of reaching the Hidden Sand Village. The group stop and take a cautionary stance when they sensed the half cloaked chakra of another shinobi nearby. Naruto was about to activate his Sage mode to pinpoint the chakra when one single shinobi landed a few feet in front of them.

“Eh, Sasuke?!” The blond’s loud tone caused the shinobi in question to flinch as he sheathed his katana back in place.

Greetings were exchanged - and upon realising they were all headed to the Hidden Sand – the group of five continued their journey together. No one was able to start questioning Sasuke or explain their own mission before they had to go on with the journey, all simply agreeing that they wanted to arrive as soon as possible. The uneasy feeling grew in the pit of Naruto’s stomach when he learned of Sasuke heading to the Hidden Sand. Something must definitely be up for him to be assigned a mission there. Naruto argued the urgency of their situation when the rest decided to make a stop for breakfast, but reluctantly agreed with the reassurance that they would reach there by noon.

“What kind of mission are you on? Or is this something you can’t talk about, Sasuke?” His voice came out harsher than he intended, but it hadn’t bothered the Uchiha. Everyone turned expectantly for an answer from him.

“I’m not really sure. The Kazekage’s aide summoned me, and once I got the confirmation to accept his summon from Kakashi, I made my way. I’ll get my mission once I’m there.” The small crease in his brow the only expression reflecting his own frustration with the situation.

The group grew silent at his answer, Naruto’s surprise quickly replaced by his rapidly growing worry. Sai and Sasuke both commented on the blond’s unusual brooding, but the ladies share a knowing look and told them to let him have his space. The rest of their breakfast was quickly finished and the journey was continued at a more urgent pace.

A few short hours later and the gates of the Hidden Sand Village were already in sight. Sakura and Sai both manage to grab Naruto at the village gate before he sprints off ahead of them, reminding him that he needs to be registered with the rest of the team. Ino hurriedly gets the job done, and the moment both arms holding him in place release, he launches himself straight for the Kazekage tower. The four other Konoha shinobi were left behind, with the shout of Naruto’s apology carrying in the wind.

The worry and uneasiness fuels his speed and the buildings he passes by are all a blur, his feet barely touching the ground as he makes his leaps over the rooftops. He lands in front of the tower’s entrance in record time and dashes into the building, making his way through familiar hallways and staircases straight to Gaara’s office. _He’s going to be safely in his office, fine and probably busy with work. There’s nothing to worry about._

He keeps that thought in mind to supress the building anxiety, picturing exactly how he would find his friend. He ignores the calls of sand shinobi who try to stop him before recognising who he was, and keeps heading to his goal. He slams the door open – ignoring whatever consequences he might face – and looks straight to the desk for the face of a surely annoyed redhead, needing the reassurance to calm himself down.

Except there is no annoyed redhead in the office to chide his rude entry. He looks around a few more times, and his anxiety comes up full force at the apparent lack of Gaara. Naruto exits the office and faces the two guards that he brushed past, both taking a defensive stance before recognising who they were facing. They straightened up and greeted him respectfully, and it took a lot of willpower for Naruto to ask his questions calmly. He grit his teeth, knowing that he was not capable of any form of calm in the moment. He rushes out his questions – taking the guards by surprise – and in the moment it took for them to understand him, his chakra begins to flare with an aura of danger, reacting to his barely contained emotions.

Naruto was about to lash out at the lack of answers when a hand firmly holds his shoulder from behind. He was surprised, but the effects of recognising the familiar chakra behind him instantly filled him with relief. The feeling was almost overwhelming that he felt a little light headed and needed a few seconds before he could turn around to face the owner of said chakra.

He is greeted by a confused looking Gaara, who’s expression quickly morphed to worry upon seeing Naruto’s expression and remembering the flare of chakra he released.

“What are you-?”

“Where were-?”

“Why-?”

“Why-?”

They both attempt to question each other, talking over one another, but decided that it wasn’t the right time. Sakura, Sai, Ino, and Sasuke finally catch up and a proper meeting was held first. Whatever the two friends needed to question each other about could wait for later, the missions had to take priority.

Formal greetings were exchanged, and mission briefs were confirmed and acknowledged. The other three on Naruto’s team were introduced to local shinobi they would be working with, and were soon after dispatched for their respective work locations. Naruto and Sasuke were left facing the Kazekage in his office. Gaara turned to look at Naruto curiously, trying to figure out his role in the mission team, making him realise that he should have followed his team out. A look crossed the young Kazekage’s face, and he seemed to realise that the both of them needed to talk.

Gaara turned to address Sasuke, exchanging small talk before his mission briefing. Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke address Gaara formally and respectfully, and even more so when Gaara had told him that he didn’t need to be formal and should simply speak comfortably. It seemed as though they reached some sort of civil relationship, a stretch to outright call it a friendship just yet though. He invites both Konoha-nins to sit on the chairs opposite him so he can begin the brief.

They hesitate, both wondering if it was okay for Naruto to be there.

“It’s fine, you are allowed to listen on for this brief.” Gaara’s tone left no doubt for them, and they took the offered seats. He looked to the scroll laid out in front of him, before looking up at Naruto with a serious expression. “In fact, it might just be important to you too.”


	3. Findings

“Did you receive any information from your Hokage before you got here?” Gaara questioned Sasuke, his expression calm with an underlying seriousness that Naruto easily recognised.

“Not exactly. He only gave me the order to accept your mission in his letter, and to proceed here with urgency.” The sight of Sasuke discussing a mission was still something quite new to Naruto, who couldn’t help but remember how they’ve only had a handful of short missions together since the war ended.

“I see.” Both Konoha-nin waited expectantly as Gaara seemed to think through his next words. He finally released a sigh and some of the tension seeped out of his shoulders. He unrolled a map on the table between them, circles and notes were messily scrawled in a few places. “My shinobi and I have recently discovered a few locations around here that had odd incidents happening. At first, there were simple reports from nearby smaller villages that something has been rampaging their farms and crops. I sent a few shinobi to handle the situation, but they had come back unsuccessful. A few of them even had minor injuries.” His expression reflected his worry for his people, but there was something else that clearly bothered him. Gaara continued speaking before either boys could question him.

“The only problem is, none could even tell what had happened to them.” His statement had surprised both ninjas. “All they could report back was that whatever it was, it struck faster than they could notice. Even sensory types have been unable to notice whatever was coming for them. From whatever that was gathered, it seems that this jutsu – or beast or whatever it is – has an incredible defence, enough to be completely cloaked down to its chakra presence. It also seems to have a good offence, breaking through strong defences set to withstand high level attacks.”

Sasuke and Naruto remained silent, each having their own train of thought regarding the matter. Gaara gave them time to process their thoughts and ask questions before he continued. Sasuke spoke up before Naruto did, surprising the blond when he asked a question similar to what he had in mind. “Did you go investigate it yourself as well?”

Gaara only nodded his affirmation, gazing at one of the locations marked on the map. The solemn expression he wore hinted at what could have happened, but Naruto needed to know for sure.

“Did it get through your sand?” The question was asked so quietly it was almost a whisper, which was uncharacteristic for the loud blond.

“I’m not sure.” Naruto felt the uneasiness make its reappearance, flashbacks from his nightmares replaying in his head. Gaara’s low voice was also quieter, as if he was still trying to figure out what exactly happened. “I initially thought it was a fault in my own defence, and I might have been hit by a stray kunai some rogue shinobi threw my way. The injury itself was just a minor cut, but I was left completely immobilised. More than half of the team that were with me were in the same condition.”

“Poisoned kunai?” Sasuke asked.

“That was what we thought, but tests came back with no poison in any of us. Recovery didn’t take very long, and all anyone needed was just to rest.”

“So, something that drains chakra?” It was the blond that asked this, realising what Gaara meant by the importance of this mission to him. “You don’t think it’s another Divine Tree, do you?”

Gaara shook his head no, taking out a few more scrolls and unrolling them over the map. He then used his chakra on a few of the seals, summoning a handful of random items. “The locations were combed through many times, and nothing remotely resembling the Divine Tree was found. However, we managed to retrieve these.” On the table were pieces of stone and paper, some burned and dirty, all with bits of markings on them.

Sasuke picked up one of the paper sheets, the other two looking at him expectantly. He first tried examining it with his Mangekyou, with no success. “I guess this is why I’m the one for the job.”

“Mhmm. I conveyed my findings to the other four Kages, and it was unanimously agreed that you might be the only one able to take up this mission.”

The brunette only nodded in response before opening his left eye. The power of the Rinnegan was still something amazing to witness, and the atmosphere of the room was quickly charged with energy. A few moments later, Sasuke was closing his eye and holding back a slightly pained expression. The exhaustion from using the Rinnegan was not a secret to anyone, Kakashi even personally training Sasuke to help deal with it and build his chakra reserves. The last Naruto heard about it was that the more skills he unlocked from his Rinnegan, the more he needed to train his chakra control.

“There isn’t enough for me to get anything solid, but I managed to get some faint traces of chakra.” He grimaced as he said this, placing the paper back on the table. “It… doesn’t feel like it’s from here.”

The meaning behind his statement was understood immediately, and memories of fighting against unfathomable foes ran through their heads.

Sasuke broke the silence by clearing his throat and continuing the mission discussion. “I would need more than this for a better investigation. And more time as well, if that is possible.”

Gaara nodded his affirmation, wrapping up the mission brief with minor details. “You have the backing of the Sand, and permission from all five Kages to carry out the investigation. You are to report your progress and any findings immediately to me, and you may request for assistance or resources you may need. A team has also been put together to assist you, Temari will introduce them to you later.”

He spoke his next words with less formality, his features gentler than a few moments ago. “I understand that it must be a bit taxing for you to use your left eye for long periods. As the Kazekage, I am grateful that you are cooperating and taking on this mission.” There was a pause, before he decided to just say what was on his mind. “As your… friend,” Naruto couldn’t stop his snort, Sasuke’s face was barely hiding his surprised confusion, and Gaara appeared to be deciding how the word tasted in his mouth. The redhead continued anyways, ignoring the slight awkwardness. “As your friend, I hope you don’t work yourself to chakra exhaustion. Or any kind of exhaustion.”

“There are rooms available for each of you to use, please ensure you get enough rest and recover your strength when you need to. If you need anything, you can let any of the sand shinobi know.” He hands over the mission scroll to Sasuke, who has already stood up to take his leave.

Sasuke notices that the blond has not made a move to leave, but decides not to call him out on it. The two seem to have something they need to talk to each other about, so he quickly excuses himself and heads straight for his room to rest.

Just as the door closes after Sasuke’s departure, Gaara signals to his ANBU guards to leave him for a moment of privacy. Upon confirming their leave, he faces Naruto directly. They stare at each other, neither knowing where to start. 

“I get that you’re the Kazekage and you’re probably busy with all kinds of work, but purposely not replying kinda sucks, you know?” Naruto starts, his tone accusing and annoyed but not angry. A look of hurt quickly crosses Gaara’s face, before it’s replaced with a look of determination and calculation. Which only served to make Naruto confused.

“I guessed that was the case.” Gaara’s response left him further confused. “Honestly, I was initially upset at not receiving your replies either,” he holds up a hand to stop Naruto from interrupting. “I hadn’t received any reply from you for the last couple of months, even sending out letters after a few weeks of no response. This was the last letter I got from you.” He took out a letter from one of his drawers and handed it to Naruto.

Naruto’s eyebrows raised in surprise, realising the letter he was holding was the last one he received a reply for. His surprise quickly morphed to relief, then confusion, and finally to worry as he processed the new info.

“One of your messenger birds arrived a few weeks ago, but there was no letter attached to it. I decided to send a team out to investigate along the flight path it would have taken. That was when we realised that the villagers’ simple reports were more serious than we thought, and a detailed investigation was launched. It was best to stop sending letters then, in case anything suspicious was happening.”

“I see, so that’s what happened.” Naruto wanted to go over the situation again, but decided he needed to hear the rest of the story leading up to where they were now. He nodded his head for Gaara to continue.

“After we gathered the items I showed you, and the incident I experienced myself, I contacted the four other Kage and shared my findings with them. That lead to them suggesting Uchiha Sasuke for the mission.”

Naruto accepts his explanation and his mind drifts to the new threat. He was lost in thought, and a comfortable silence had settled between them, when Gaara asks Naruto why he was in the Hidden Sand Village.

“I was notified of the other three members on your team, but was unaware that you were part of the mission too.”

Naruto just gives a shrug and awkwardly tries to come up with an excuse. “Well, you know… heh.” Gaara tilts his head questioningly, the small quirk at the corner of his lips show the beginning of a smile. “They absolutely needed me, and after all the persuading, I managed to make time to join them on this mission heh.” He could already picture Sakura’s reaction if she heard his excuse, and was glad she wasn’t actually here for this conversation.

Gaara takes on a serious expression, nodding at Naruto’s explanation. “Then, I shouldn’t be taking up too much of your time here... After all, you’d be more help if you’re with them right now, rather than here with me.” The teasing grin sent his way makes him feel flustered, but the growing uneasiness quickly replaces it.

The obvious change in the blond’s mood worries the young Kazekage, and he drops the teasing to find out the real answer. His tone is gentle as he asks his friend, hoping to coax the truth from him. “You can tell me the real reason you’re here. We’ve been friends for so long, there’s no point in trying to hide it from me.”

Naruto hesitated for a moment, contemplating just how much of the truth he was willing to share. Gaara was right, there really was no point in trying to hide the truth, but divulging the full truth didn’t seem so right either. He decided to be as honest as he was with Kakashi and Sakura, keeping things vague but true. “Something hasn’t been feeling right recently, and my instinct has been pulling me to be around here. I know it’s just a gut feeling, but maybe it has something to do with the mission brief you just gave and the incidents that has been happening, you know?”

Gaara was suspicious of Naruto’s answer, knowing he wasn’t getting the full truth. He lets it go, accepting that there were reason that Naruto wouldn’t share it with him.

“Would you like to be formally placed on Sasuke’s team then? You would be able to help him with the investigation, and report to me whatever your findings are.” He asks instead.

A moment or two of contemplation was all it took, Naruto declining the offer with a shake of his head. “I’d rather help out unofficially if that’s okay, since I’m technically supposed to be helping Sakura and the others here.” He chuckled, reaching back to sheepishly scratch his neck.

“Mhmm.” Gaara agrees easily, filling something up on his copy of the mission scroll. Naruto watches him work and a sense of peace slowly grows and lessens the uneasy feelings he’s been having.

‘ _That’s right, Gaara is fine and safe right here.’_ Naruto thinks to himself, silently thankful that the redhead isn’t bleeding out and injured out of his reach, like in his nightmares. 

He doesn’t realise how long he was staring, appreciating the soft glow around Gaara cast by the sun behind him. It was almost poetic, if Naruto was a poet. But he wasn’t, he was a shinobi. Yet, it still crossed his mind how he got to see such a rare sight. For so long people had feared Gaara and saw him as a demon, but right now – with the soft halo-like glow – he couldn’t be more opposite. The faint blush on his cheeks simply completed the picture.

It was only when Naruto registered the blush, did he realise he had been spacing out and staring at his friend. Gaara was probably uncomfortable, looking everywhere else except at him. He cleared his throat, finally breaking Naruto out of his daze, the latter awkwardly looking away and reaching for the back of his own neck out of habit.

“You can rest in any of the rooms that we’ve prepared for all of you from Konoha. I’m sure the journey must have tired you.” If Gaara felt uncomfortable, he definitely was great at hiding it. He carried on talking as if nothing awkward just happened.

_‘Maybe it really was nothing, and I’m just overthinking this. Maybe I really am that tired.’_

He shakes the thoughts out of his head and declines Gaara’s offer. “I wanna hang out here and keep you company, if that’s alright with you. It’s been awhile since we last talked.”

Gaara hums in agreement and looks up to return the smile he knows is definitely there. “It would be good for us to catch up, and perhaps you can pick up a few things for when you become the Hokage.”

Naruto couldn’t help beaming at that.


	4. Talk

They spend a majority of the day together, only separating after a late lunch when Gaara had meetings that he could not attend. An irrational part of him worried that something might happen while they were apart, but the more rational side argued that he had to respect some boundaries. He also has to remember just how capable Gaara is.

Naruto wondered around the busy streets of Suna before making his way to his room to get some rest. It turns out that the rooms they were given were in the Kazekage quarters, and Naruto instinctively chose the room closest to Gaara’s. It was odd for them to be placed in the quarters itself, but there must have been reasons for the decision.

Alone in his room, he finally realised how exhausted he was and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up panting and sweating, sitting up straight to get his bearings. The faint buzzing of Kurama’s chakra was felt within him, a small way the fox tried to calm him. He was grateful for the gesture, calming down significantly.

Naruto stood up and put on his jacket, preparing to leave his room. The door opened behind him, and he turned around to see Sasuke and Sakura standing there. They both wore looks of concern and stepped into his room, closing the door behind them.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Before his thoughts could spiral, Sakura reassured him with a shake of her head and guided him to sit on his bed. She took the spot beside him, and Sasuke leaned against the window by his bedside.

“Nothing’s wrong with us. It’s just that your chakra was flaring quite badly, Naruto.” He finally took note of his own chakra that was only beginning to settle, reigning it in and controlling it. Sakura continued her explanation at his prompting. “Sasuke-kun and I noticed from our rooms and decided to check on you, bumping into each other outside. It was pretty strong, considering my room is right at the end and I still sensed it.”

Sakura released her calming chakra all while she spoke, and Sasuke looked at Naruto with careful eyes, examining him for any harm or injury. When it was clear that he wasn’t attacked or in any danger, they both concluded that it was best to distract him than to pry for the cause of his chakra flaring. They started talking about their day, the things they ended up doing and the overall progress they each made for the day. Their friendship had only gotten stronger over the past few years, and moments like these showed just how much they grew together.

“Sai ended up helping me with the investigation when we bumped into each other. I didn’t realise we would work so well together.” Sasuke mentioned, his tone conveying his surprise. “We managed to come up with a few likely theories, but none can be proven for now. I requested for him to formally be on my team.”

“I’m not surprised honestly. Given his training, he should be great for the mission. Ino and I made pretty good progress too, the medic-nins here are cooperating and things should be able to follow the schedule.” Sakura carried on the conversation, knowing that even though Naruto was calmer, he still wasn’t in such a great mood to talk.

The conversation kept on and Naruto found himself feeling much better, their distraction helping him settle. He even joined in, making jokes and remarks every now and then. They were interrupted by a light knock on the door, and all three of them stood up as the door opened to reveal Gaara. He was still dressed in his Kage robes despite the late hour, and a cautious chakra was coming off of him.

Gaara appeared calm and stoic as he usually did, but Naruto saw the small furrow of his brow that betrayed his true feelings. He was probably disturbed by something, which immediately put the blond on alert. He was just about to ask, but Sasuke beat him to it.

“Is something wrong? Are we needed somewhere?”

The redhead hesitated for a moment before finally answering. “Oh, nothing is wrong. And no.” The cautiousness was replaced by an awkwardness instead. “I felt Naruto’s chakra flare from my study and was just concerned.”

The three Konoha-nin were surprised that he could feel it at that distance, and realised perhaps they managed to narrowly avoid causing a diplomatic incident. Gaara quickly excused himself before things could get more awkward and left with a nod towards the three.

“Gaara! Wait!” Naruto hurried after him, catching up in the hallway where he stopped. They looked around and concluded that the hallway was too public for them to speak freely. With a nod of agreement, they made their way to Gaara’s room down the hall.

Naruto had left Sakura and Sasuke surprised by his sudden departure following the Kazekage. Sasuke threw a questioning look towards Sakura as they left his room, and she only shrugged in return – equally as clueless about what just happened.

* * *

He sat down on the floor by the small tea table while waiting for Gaara to bring some tea. He had insisted on serving some tea and Naruto didn’t have any argument against it. Tea might just help with whatever mess he has to sort out that’s been bothering him.

Gaara sat down opposite him, placing the tea and cups on the table before taking a few more things from his makeshift sand tray. Naruto started pouring the tea for both of them, while Gaara served both of them a few of Suna’s local sweets and snacks. He recognised the one that Shikamaru favoured and brought back for everyone to try, and also the one he himself liked.

They sat in comfortable silence, drinking tea and nibbling on the food, the sound of the gentle wind creating a peaceful environment. Gaara gave him space to do whatever it was he needed, whether it was to talk about what happened or just to simply ignore it and distract himself. That’s why they were such good friends, they understood each other on so many levels and had a solid bond between them.

Which is why Naruto decided to be completely honest with the redhead. As much as he would prefer to ignore what happened and move on from it, he just couldn’t. It was starting to affect others around him, and it might one day put them in danger if he ever truly lost control, especially while sleeping. Remembering what Sakura spoke of a few nights ago, there’s no doubt that Gaara would be the person he trusted with this.

“Gaara…” His tone was so unsure, even to his own ears. Gaara simply raised his eyebrows, giving the blond time to do whatever it was he needed. He took a few deep breaths and arranged his thoughts, figuring out how to best start the conversation without being asked about it. “The chakra flare just now, and me being here, can I be honest with you about it?”

Pale green eyes looked at him with gentle understanding and urged him to continue. Gaara paid attention to Naruto’s retelling of why he tagged along with Sakura’s team, the dreams that have been plaguing him, and the worry that has made a place within him. He didn’t interrupt even once, his expression mostly unchanged except for the slight downward tilt of his lips and the small crease in his brow.

“So, I’m the reason behind your worry?” He looked at Naruto with a serious face, though the blond could see the trace of disappointment in his features.

“Yes. I mean, no! I don’t know, maybe?”

“I was hurting you? And the other’s too?” The crease in his brow deepened, and he was now sporting a full on frown.

“Ehhhh,” Naruto couldn’t believe he came to such a far conclusion, but then again communication wasn’t always either of their strong suits. “No no no, that’s not it. Gaara,” he looked down at the tea cup in his hand, avoiding Gaara’s gaze. “You were always hurt, and there was nothing I could do to help every time. Hell, most of the time I couldn’t even get near you to help, and I’d wake up feeling like I failed you.”

The silence between them was filled with the sound of the wind beating lightly against the window. Both young men were processing the conversation they just had and the weight of the words that were said. Moments passed, and Naruto noticed a gentle swirl of sand guiding him to put down his empty teacup. Gaara silently refilled the empty cup, and pushed one his favourite sweets towards him. He made sure he had the blond’s attention before he spoke up.

“Where am I right now, Naruto?”

“You’re here, in Suna. Having tea with me.” Naruto felt like he knew where the conversation was going, but he needed to hear Gaara out as patiently as he heard him out.

“Mhmm, exactly.” He took a sip of said tea before continuing, his face now clear and calm. “I don’t think I would be here if you hadn’t saved me all those years ago. You saved me from myself, you helped save me from certain death, and you saved me in many other ways after and in between. No matter what can happen in the future, you should never feel like you failed me.”

“I can’t guarantee that I will never get hurt, or that I won’t meet my end sooner rather than later, we’re both shinobi and it’s just one of the risks. But you should have faith in me and my will to survive to protect those who are precious to me. I am the Kazekage after all.”

Gaara’s words filled him with a mix of hope and sorrow, though he had no way of denying its truth. A memory of how the Kazekage looked with the sun behind him – warm and strong and _alive_ – came up in his mind, overlapping with the memory of dead weight – cold and unresponsive – in his arms.

Sand was gently swirling around him, in a gesture meant to comfort him, when he realised the drops on the table were his own tears. Naruto rubbed at his eyes and forced out some laughter, beginning to apologise. He was stopped short by the sad look on his friend’s face.

“I understand.” was all the redhead needed to say. That simple statement carried so much meaning for the both of them. They were both young men that had to face such similar pain, they had to battle internal demons and unexpected enemies alike, they had to go to war. And yet, with all the glory and responsibility they each now shouldered, at the end of the day they were still just young men.

Another silence settled over them, though more comfortable than the last. They didn’t bother filling the silence, instead enjoying each other’s company in the moment, sharing looks that carried conversations of their own. They decided to call it a night once the tea had gone cold and the moon hung high in the night sky.

“Well… thank you ne, Gaara.” He did his best to convey his thanks from his side of the doorway, feeling awkward all of a sudden. He was about to leave, but stayed in place when it was clear that Gaara had something he wanted to say.

“You know that I really do understand, right? You’re already shouldering a lot of responsibility for your village, and for the whole shinobi alliance too. That will only increase when you become Hokage, and the risks will increase with it.” He let out a sigh. “I watched you die too, Naruto. I have my worries as well.”

His statement came as a surprise to Naruto, who somehow forgot his own momentary death. It felt odd to have someone else acknowledge that it happened. It made the fact that that they understood each other undoubtable.

Naruto faced Gaara with the best smile he could muster, earning him a small smile in return. “I guess you should just have faith in me too, you know!”

They shared a small laugh and said their goodnights, each going to bed with a lot on their mind, but with lighter hearts nonetheless.


	5. Train

“Naruto? Is that you?”

Naruto turned towards the familiar voice calling out to him, politely greeting the eldest Suna sibling as she approached him.

“Gaara isn’t here with you?” She looked around the training grounds for the redhead in question.

“He was summoned by the Daimyo a few days ago, around the time you left for your mission.” He answers her distractedly, putting all of his focus on training the jutsu he recently picked up. “I got the okay to use the training grounds, but I’m not sure which one. Is it alright that I’m here?”

“Well, I’m guessing the one that gave you the okay was Gaara. If you have the Kazekage’s permission, who’s going to stop you?” She laughed lightly, setting her fan down beside her and taking a seat on the ground nearby Naruto. “You mind if I’m here?”

He laughed at her answer to his question, and only shook his head in response to her’s. Almost an hour passed by before he took a break, joining Temari who was concentrating on the scroll in her hands. Her expression was serious and analytical, similar to the expression Shikamaru wore more often these days.

_‘Those two are definitely meant for each other.’_

“Are you part of the mission that Sasuke’s on too?” They were on friendly enough terms for Naruto to speak with her casually, though he sometimes felt as if there was something that Temari held back from him. It couldn’t be her relationship with Shikamaru, which was as much of a secret as Naruto’s love for ramen was. When he asked Gaara about it, the redhead only shrugged in return, just as stumped as he was.

“Mhmm. I’m sure you already heard about it from Gaara.” She unrolled a map similar to the one he saw during the mission brief on the ground between them. Four out of the dozen or so marked locations were circled in red ink, all a significant distance from each other. “These four locations have had more activity than the rest, Sasuke and Sai are convinced that we should focus the investigations on these locations and hold off on the rest.”

“But you don’t completely agree?” He asked, noting her hesitance.

“It’s not that I disagree with them, it’s just that there isn’t enough reason to follow that strategy. It might even end up with us focusing on sites that prove pointless in the end.”

“Have you been to any of the locations during Suna’s initial investigation?” He reached for the scroll that she put down beside the map, skimming through brief notes taken for each location.

“I lead a team for these four locations, and joined Gaara’s team here.” She pointed to two of the red-circled locations, then to three other scattered marks. “There were no incidents during my team’s recon mission, but there was one with his.” She tapped on the single mark on the map.

“Why isn’t this a focus point then?” His tone was sharp, the frustration clearly written on his face.

“Because it was a single event. There were no reports of it occurring again in that location, or anywhere else aside from the four focus points. I understand the perspective they have on this, the repeated reports are in locations close to smaller villages and would pose a threat to the civilians nearby. But the reports state that minor property damage and disturbances were the only thing to happen, there were no injuries involved.”

“What about the rocks and sheets that were collected? Where were they from?”

“Here, here, and here.” She pointed to three of the focus points.

“Hmm, then its harder to argue with their logic.” He reread the notes on the four focus points, comparing them with notes on the other locations. “Why are you discussing this with me anyways?”

“It was on my mission scroll, I’m allowed to share the progress with you.” She showed him the remark written in Gaara’s neat handwriting.

“Is that the only reason?” He arched a brow in her direction, ridiculously squinting at the same time.

“Well, you must have been spending a lot of time with my brother, you’re a lot more perceptive than I remember.” She enjoyed the flustered expression her teasing caused, but quickly answered him in all seriousness. “When I saw that you were here in Suna, and that you were allowed to help with this mission, I recalled that you were able to use Senjutsu and Kyuubi’s chakra. Is it possible that it might help us validate or narrow down where we should focus the investigations?”

It didn’t occur to him until she brought it up, and he had to ponder the possibility. He voiced out his appreciation at her ability to come up with this strategy, before giving her the best answer he could give.

“I’m not sure.”

She masked her disappointment quickly, and gave a nod of understanding instead.

“From what I know, Sasuke believes that the chakra traces he detected were not from our world. But it was too weak for him to analyse with his Rinnegan. If I don’t have an initial sample of what I should be looking for, then it might be harder – if at all possible – for me to find anything. The white zetsu we fought had distinguishable traits in their chakra. If I can get something similar, then your plan might just work.”

“I’ll bring you the items when we head back to the tower.” She was back to being fiercely determined, already thinking of the next steps to take.

“Mhmm. I guess I should continue with a little more training, you can go ahead and I’ll catch up with you there.” As much as he wanted to hurry and find out if he could help with the mission, he needed to fulfil his training and prepare for whatever they may need to face.

Temari put away the neatly rolled scrolls and turned to face him, giving Naruto one of the smiles she usually reserved for her younger brothers. “Do you want any help? We can spar, and I can teach you one or two wind style jutsu too.”

Naruto nodded quickly, excited at the prospect of building his arsenal of jutsu. The two began their impromptu training, and one of the most important things he learned that day was how terrifying Temari could really be as an opponent.

* * *

The warm energy radiating off of Naruto filled the investigation room, Temari and Sai both holding back their awe at the sight. The same items that were given to Sasuke during the first brief were now laid in front of Naruto and the blond has his eyes closed in concentration. He pushes his chakra further and further outwards, pacing himself to ensure he doesn’t accidentally miss anything. He spots Sakura’s familiar chakra, then Ino’s a little further out, and even Sasuke and Baki’s at the edge of the village. His search was able to reach up to the second town closest to Suna, before he no longer could fully distinguish the chakras.

“This is around where my sensing starts to dull.” He points out the location on the map, returning his chakra back to normal.

“That’s not bad, it’s almost half of the search area. Did you find anything?” Temari asks as she marks the map and makes notes.

“Nothing unusual came up.” The blond frowned, clearly frustrated with the outcome. “Ahhh, this would be a little easier if I knew exactly what I was looking for, you know!”

Unlike Sasuke, Naruto wasn’t able to catch even a hint of the chakra that the former managed to get with his Rinnegan. He was on a blind search, with a clear limit to how far the effectiveness of his sensing could go.

“Perhaps we could do something to work around the area limitations. And if the recon teams come back with better evidence, you might be able to get the chakra sample you need.” Sai adds in, looking through their findings so far. “You could send out your clones on my beasts.”

“Sai, you’re a genius! We can cover the whole search area in one go.” He gets up on his feet and creates five shadow clones, all as fired up as the original.

Temari’s hand lands on his shoulder and she laughs lightly at his enthusiasm. “That can be done tomorrow. It’s getting late, you should get dinner and rest for the night.”

His stomach growled in response and he suddenly realised that it was definitely a lot later than he thought, and his last meal was a really early breakfast. The expression he wore must have given him away, the awe that was there not too long ago now replaced with amused exasperation on the other two shinobis’ faces.

“Let’s go, I think everyone else is having dinner around now too.” Sai leads the way, Temari and Naruto walking a few steps behind him.

They walk in comfortable silence which was only broken when Naruto remembered the thought he had during his search. “Gaara still isn’t back yet? I couldn’t sense him in the village.”

“Mhmm, the meeting with the Daimyo must have dragged on. You should prepare to face these situations once you’re Hokage.” Naruto grinned at her, though he noted the edge of worry and doubt she had when answering him.

They went their separate ways for dinner, Temari declining the offer to join the Konoha-nins. Naruto and Sai arrived just as the others started eating, their food reaching them not long after.

“Where were you the whole day?” Ino asked in the middle of their meal. They were exchanging updates on their day, and being the last to arrive – and missing lunch earlier – Naruto spent his time eating to make up for his lost energy, opting to use his mouth to consume instead of communicate.

“I was busy.” The blond replied between bites, earning dry looks from the two kunoichis.

“He actually was.” Sai came to his defence. “At least from afternoon onwards. I’m not so sure about before that though.” He gave Naruto his signature smile, sending a shiver down the blond’s back. It feels as though he’s implying something, but Naruto can’t be so sure if that’s the case or what he’s hinting at either.

“I was training before that, then I helped Temari with the investigation.”

“Did Temari’s theory work?” Sasuke asked, nodding along and asking more questions as he and Sai got into their own discussion.

Sakura and Ino looked at him with a teasing glint in their eyes instead, while the other two were occupied. Naruto had a feeling he wouldn’t enjoy whatever was coming. And he definitely wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

“Well, I wonder when Gaara-san will be back, I would like to join him and you for tea again sometime.” Sakura said innocently.

“It’s lucky you and Sai got to have tea with them, I haven’t had the chance yet.” Ino added, her words hinting at something that Naruto didn’t understand.

He heard Sai disguising his chuckle with a cough beside him, and he went through the memories of that one time all four of them had tea together in the Kazekage’s room. It was like most of the nights that they both had tea together – which had become some sort of a routine, except for when Gaara wasn’t around. The three of them had bumped into the Kazekage, who was back early from a short mission, and the sand-nin had extended the invitation to Sakura and Sai. The atmosphere was warm, conversations flowed smoothly, and everyone seemed pretty content by the end of the night. Maybe Ino really just wanted to have tea with them because of that.

Naruto missed the looks they exchanged while he was recalling the events of that night. While the evening was normal to him, his two friends had a different outlook on it. They saw a side of the blond that was just as happy and energetic, but somehow softer and calmer with Gaara by his side. The redhead was even more surprising, smiling more often than they’ve ever seen and making conversation easily the whole time. He was warmer than they expected, showing them a part of him that’s charming and funny.

They were relaxed in each other’s space, sitting close together so naturally that it left Sakura and Sai wondering if there was more happening between them. The way they filled each other’s cups and plates out of habit added to that train of thought. And the gentle glances they gave when the other was looking away left no room for doubt. By the end of it, Sakura and Sai shared a look and silently agreed that the only question left was; _Do they realise it?_

Naruto decided to not dwell on the topic, and his friends had moved on to another conversation. He continued eating and filed the conversation they just had for another time, preferably when he’s less exhausted and confused.


End file.
